Chapter 17
Spike hadn’t heard from Buffy all morning and couldn’t take it anymore, marching to Dawn’s room to demand that she finally talk to him, but once again when he opened the door, he found it completely empty.
* * * * *
Dawn didn’t know what to do when the heartbroken girl showed up at her dorm earlier that day, all she did was lay there and let Buffy cry, doing her best to offer what little comfort she could. She finally calmed down after bawling her eyes out for over an hour, now lying beside Dawn in her bed, both in silence, which the brunette broke a minute later.
“Does my dad know you’re here?”
Buffy shook her head, taking in a deep breath. “I couldn’t face him yet.”
Dawn nodded. “Yeah, but he’s gonna freak when he sees you’re not there, especially after what happened. Are you really sure that you don’t remember anything?”
Buffy turned her gaze away, staring at Dawn’s comforter. “No, it’s all blur. I was drugged; the doctor said it’s perfectly understandable to not remember.”
“I get that, but drugged or not, I don’t know how anyone can forget something that traumatic. You don’t even know who did it?”
Buffy shut her eyes as the horrible experience came back to haunt her.
* * * * *
“I’ve been watching you for a long time now. Ever since I first saw you walk in the club, you looked so young and beautiful, so innocent; I knew you were the one for me. I was so happy when you applied for the job; why else do you think I hired you right away? Because I knew that I had to have you, and obviously you don’t have a problem with older men,” Ben claimed, stroking her cheek gently.
Buffy tried to focus on the conversation. “Please, don’t do this,” she whimpered, praying that he wouldn’t hurt her, tears forming in her eyes.
“It’s all going to be okay now. You’ll see that this is how things are supposed to be.”
She turned away from him, but Ben wouldn’t let her.
“We can’t have that,” he said, jerking her face back to look at his. “That’s my girl. Now, you’re going to do everything I say. No one is to find out about this, you got it? I’m sure you wouldn’t want anything to happen to that precious boyfriend of yours,” Ben practically spat. “He’s not good enough for you, Buffy. You deserve so much better, and anyway, if I find out you told anyone about me, I’ll make him hurt in every way possible, or, I’ll do something even worse than that. He has a daughter, right? It would be a shame if something were to happen to her. No one is going to take you away from me.”
Buffy was helpless to stop him as she felt herself being lifted up and forced to lay on the bar, tears streaming down her face now at what was about to happen. She couldn’t let anything happen to those she loved, so Buffy just remained where she was as her clothes were ripped from her body, and all she knew then was darkness.
* * * * *
“Are you okay, Buffy? You totally spaced.”
She nodded, once again turning her gaze away from Dawn’s. “I don’t remember.”
* * * * *
Spike made it to the college in ten minutes, possibly breaking every speeding limit, but he didn’t care. The second Dawn opened the door and he saw Buffy lying on the bed, he rushed to her side, taking her in his arms and smothering her with kisses.
“You can’t bloody do that to me, love. If you wanted to come for a visit, I gladly would have taken you, but you can’t just leave like that. You had me worried sick.”
She clutched him to her, not knowing how to respond.
Spike kissed her hair, then turned to Dawn. “How are you doing, nibblet?”
She gave her dad a small smile. “A lot better than either of you right now, I just wish I could help her.
“You’re not alone in that,” he commented, focusing back on Buffy and grasping both of her hands, his heart breaking at the lost look on her face. “I know you’re scared and hurting, but you can’t just run off like that. I love you so much, baby. It kills me when I think about what happened to you. I want to find that bastard and beat the living shit out of him for what he did, but I know that’s not what you need right now. You have to talk to me, sweetheart. If you don’t think you can, then maybe you would be more comfortable talking to a therapist. I know of one that might be able to help you. I just need you to be here with me, okay?” Spike cupped her cheek and collected a tear that spilled from her eyes. “You’re my beautiful, strong, amazing girl, you know that? If anyone can get through this, it’s you, but you can’t do it alone. You brought me back to life, Buffy. I was dead before you came along. I had no purpose, didn’t know what I was meant for, but you changed all of that. Knocked me over, you did. We’re in this together, no matter what happens.”
Buffy broke down then, not able to keep her remaining tears back any longer, throwing her arms around him and burying her face against his neck as she sobbed her heart out.
Spike held her tight, rubbing soothing circles on her back. “It’s okay now, baby. No one will ever hurt you again, I’ll see to that.”
Dawn had tears of her own as she watched them, praying that they would both get through this.
* * * * *
Ben jumped back when his apartment door was kicked open, an angry man standing before him.
“Angel? What the hell are you doing?”
He stepped inside, pulling back his fist and punching Ben right in the nose. “How does it feel, you spineless coward? I knew there was something I didn’t trust about you, but rape, sexual abuse? I can’t believe I ever called you a friend, and don’t deny it, I know for a fact you’re the one who hurt Buffy. How the fuck could you do that? She’s just a kid. You left her in a fucking alley naked and cold, she could have died out there! I’m gonna make sure you never hurt anyone again.”
Ben felt his anger take over as he glared at the intruder. “I didn’t do anything to her! I don’t know what the bitch told you, but you’ve got nothing on me. I want you to get the fuck out of here.”
Angel wasn’t one that liked being told what to do, kicking Ben in the crotch, then punching him in the left eye, delighted that there would be a nice black eye in the morning; see how he liked being the abused one for a change. He continued to throw kicks and punches, not letting the other man get up for a second, too lost in his rage. “She was just an innocent girl! You left her scarred, battered, you killed her! Haley didn’t deserve that!”
Ben managed to back away once the beating stopped; staring at Angel with the one good eye he had left, while holding the other. “Who the fuck is Haley?!”
Angel realized what he said, figuring the man had enough for now as he headed over to the doorway, glancing back at Ben one more time. “This isn’t over,” he spat, then stormed out of the apartment.
“You’re fired!” Ben yelled after his retreating back, but the brunet was long gone.
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